Is the 12-50 really 'one lens to rule them all'

[somno1]

Phil,

I am going to get the 60 mm lens and was thinking about buying the 45 mm macro lens also (and use the 45 port with a 20 extension ring). How does the 43 mm macro on the 12-50 compare to the 45 mm macro lens?

If it is very close, then it might be reasonable to buy the 12-50 lens with the Nauticam 12-50 port/gear and use that port with the 60 mm and forgo the 45 mm lens and 45 port option (if they are close it would be worthwhile to have the extra versatility).

What are you thoughts on the second option?

Also, now that you have the 60 mm lens, do you find that you use the 45 mm macro very much?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I still use both the 45 and 60mm macros and they do a much better job than the macro function on the 12-50 zoom, for one thing they are faster lenses. The 12-50 is fine if you have no idea what you will be shooting and a great starter lens. The lenses I use most are the 7-14, 12, 8 fisheye and the two macros.

Phil Rudin

 

[somno1]

I still use both the 45 and 60mm macros and they do a much better job than the macro function on the 12-50 zoom, for one thing they are faster lenses. The 12-50 is fine if you have no idea what you will be shooting and a great starter lens. The lenses I use most are the 7-14, 12, 8 fisheye and the two macros.

Phil Rudin

How do you decide before the dive which macro lens (45 or 60 mm)? Which subjects are better with each lens. Do you also use the add on diopter with each lens?

When you are doing macro, what is the ratio of your use of the 45 compared to the 60 mm? I am trying to decide if I should get them both right away or whether I should get one first (and if so, which one?) then the other.

Thanks.

 

[amnong]

The port for the E-PL3 underwater housing is a few millimeters shorter due to the LED's.
Unfortunately, that makes the E-PL3 underwater housing the only standard housing to not fit the 12-50mm or the 60mm macro (these two lenses are pretty much identical in size)

It should be possible to change to standard port of your PT-EP05L housing with a dome port that can fit the 12-50mm.
I have neither PT-EP05L, nor a dome port, so I cannot test this for you.

Thank you for the voluble info. Appreciate an idea how to make the 12-50mm work with the Oly PT-EP05, yet without having to spend on a new Nauticam hosing.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Somno,

Both lenses have upsides and the Olympus 60mm macro is my first choice. The IS is in camera and works somewhat better in macro shots from like 1:6 or greater. The IS in the 45macro lens works fine if you are shooting subjects more than two feet or so away but does not wrok well in macro.

I would give a slight edge to the 45macro in turms of sharpness and CA if you are using a Panasonic camera where CA is removed in camera. On the Olympus EM5 CA is about the same and is delt with in post in software like Lightroom.

At 1:1 the 60mm puts about two CM more space between your port glass and subject. This may not seem like much but it makes a big difference with some subjects. It also helps with the thicker Closeup lenses. So I use the +5 with the 45 and the +10 with the 60mm. I can use my ring-flash at 1:1 with the 60 but at 1:1 with the 45 the subject is to close to the flash in many cases.

I have had the 45 much longer than the 60 so I have more images taken with the 45 at this time. I now lean much more towards the 60macro and would use the 45mm when I want to photograph larger subjects because of its wider angle of view.

For very close focus the 60macro is best because of the extra distance between lens and subject. I also like the focus limiting feature of the 60 because it puts you in a focus range of about twenty inches to 1:1, as a result the lens will "hunt" less than the 45 covering the range from 1:1 to infinity. Cost is about equal if you are buying the 45 port and adding the 20mm extension. The extension cost about covers the higher cost of the 45macro lens.

You would be happy with either lens I am sure. I tend to shoot both lenses in the mid F/stop range F/5.6 to F/8 for best overall results although I doubt you would see a difference until F/16 or higher. Keep in mind that the smaller M43 sensor has lots of depth of field even at F/5.6 compared to larger sensors.

Phil Rudin

 

[BoltSnap]

Phil,

What is "IS" and "CA" please?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Glossary of Photography Terms

 

[somno1]

Is does not seem to be in the glossary terms and I believe it means Internal Stabalization (known as vibration reduction in Nikon lenses). CA is not listed as such but it stands for Chromatic Aberration which is listed.

 

[BoltSnap]

Fourth term from the top in the I section "I" terms

 

[somno1]

Somno,

Both lenses have upsides and the Olympus 60mm macro is my first choice. The IS is in camera and works somewhat better in macro shots from like 1:6 or greater. The IS in the 45macro lens works fine if you are shooting subjects more than two feet or so away but does not wrok well in macro.

I would give a slight edge to the 45macro in turms of sharpness and CA if you are using a Panasonic camera where CA is removed in camera. On the Olympus EM5 CA is about the same and is delt with in post in software like Lightroom.

At 1:1 the 60mm puts about two CM more space between your port glass and subject. This may not seem like much but it makes a big difference with some subjects. It also helps with the thicker Closeup lenses. So I use the +5 with the 45 and the +10 with the 60mm. I can use my ring-flash at 1:1 with the 60 but at 1:1 with the 45 the subject is to close to the flash in many cases.

I have had the 45 much longer than the 60 so I have more images taken with the 45 at this time. I now lean much more towards the 60macro and would use the 45mm when I want to photograph larger subjects because of its wider angle of view.

For very close focus the 60macro is best because of the extra distance between lens and subject. I also like the focus limiting feature of the 60 because it puts you in a focus range of about twenty inches to 1:1, as a result the lens will "hunt" less than the 45 covering the range from 1:1 to infinity. Cost is about equal if you are buying the 45 port and adding the 20mm extension. The extension cost about covers the higher cost of the 45macro lens.

You would be happy with either lens I am sure. I tend to shoot both lenses in the mid F/stop range F/5.6 to F/8 for best overall results although I doubt you would see a difference until F/16 or higher. Keep in mind that the smaller M43 sensor has lots of depth of field even at F/5.6 compared to larger sensors.

Phil Rudin

Thanks Phil,

Based in part on that answer, I have put my order in for my OMD/Nauticam housing today. I ordered the 60 mm lens and the 45 port with 20 mm extension ring just in case I want to get the 45 mm in the future.